Does everybody know what the word "hibernation" means? That's
right, it means to sleep through the winter. Woodchucks do it. So do some
chipmunks, ground squirrels, bats, and some mice. Bears do a lot of sleeping
in the winter, too, but they're not true hibernators because they sometimes
get up and yawn and look around a little on a warmish winter day.
Did you know that some Scouts are hibernators, too? They're what we might
call warm-weather Scouts. When the air gets cold and there is snow on the
ground they'd rather stay home than go outdoors as Scouts do.

I hope we don't have any hibernators in this troop. Leave hibernation to
the animals who really need to do it because it's part oftheir life cycle.
The most important part ofthe word "Scouting" is "outing,"
and in this troop we like to get outdoors rather than try to find our adventures
in front of a TV set. Part of the fun of Scouting is learning to live comfortably
outdoors all year round. You will find that there is a lot of satisfaction
in knowing that you can take care of yourself in any weather. That doesn't
mean that were nuts, though; if we get caught in a blizzard with sub-zero
temperatures, well come home. But we know how to take care of ourselves
in ordinary winter weather.
So you newer Scouts can tell your folks that you11 get along just fine with
the troop when we go out later this month. In this troop Scouting really
is outing.